Coupling



June 13, 1950 F. MEIER 2,511,284

COUPLING Filed Nov. 50, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nlp! Hl@ Lttornelj June13, 1950 F. MEIER 2,511,284

COUPLING Filed Nov. 50, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I i f' Snoentor gay)F/'e o/'/c Me/ef B @maal/.

His Cttorne-g June 13, 1950 F. MEIER 2,511,284

COUPLING Filed Nov. so, 1946 s sheetssneet 3 Iig. 6.

Snnentor H 1s (Ittorneg Patented June 13, 1950 COUPLING Fredric Meier,Chicago, Ill., assignor to Carnegie- Illinois Steel Corporation, acorporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1946, Serial No.713,265

6 Claims, (Cl. 287-52113) This invention relates to couplings, and moreparticularly to couplings such as are used in imparting driving power tothe pinion stands of rolling mills, although not limited thereto.

According to conventional rolling mill design, there is employed apinion stand which connects through spindles with the necks of therolls, the latter being journaled in the mill stand. In such aninstallation power is usually applied to the pinion stand from anadjacently disposed driving unit through a one-piece coupling box whichreceives very high stresses, and as a consequence frequently fails inservice. Ordinarily the replacement of the conventional one-piececoupling box requires the shutting down of the mill for a substantialperiod of time. This is for the reason that .the spindles between themill stand and the pinion stand must be removed, and the pinion standloosened and moved back on its supporting shoes in order that thecoupling vbox may be lifted out between the end of the power shaft andthe end of the pinion shaft, the new coupling box placed over the end ofeither of the two shafts and the pinion stand moved back to its originalposition on its supporting shoes, and a number of readjustments resortedto in order to properly position the pinion stand, after which thespindles must Ibe replaced.

For the foregoing and other reasons the usual solid or one-piececoupling box of the type refel-red to is unsatisfactory. Not only is thereplacement of the coupling box costly and troublesome due to theprocedure described hereinbefore, but frequently an extended shut-downof the mill results in substantial loss in tonnage of the material tovbe rolled due to overheating in the heating furnace.

It is among the objects oi the present invention to provide a couplingfor rolling mills, heavy duty machinery, etc., which is very durable inservice but may in case of breakage, or necessary repair, be replaced inbut a very short interval of time.

Another object is the provision of a device of the type set forthimmediately hereinbeforeV which is simple and inexpensive tomanufacture, install and replace.

Still another object is the provision of a couplingV of the classdescribed which utilizes no exposed bolt heads and nuts which mightendanger nearby workmen when the coupling box is rotating.

A further object is the attaimnent of the foregoing objectives withoutresort to the use of bolts for the transmission of power.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter described and asparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative of several of thenumber of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view of two cooperating coupling halves which whenassembled form part of the device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a yoke, two of which are employed toholdl together the two split coupling halves shown in Figure l;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the yoke of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan of the yoke of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the split coupling halves of Figure 1sho-wn as maintained in assembled relationship by means of a pair ofyokes of the type illustrated in Figures 3 through 5; and

Figure 'Il is a side elevation of one of the split couplingsillustrating at the top one of the yokes in attached position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numerals I and 2designate a pair of .split coupling halves, both of which are providedalong their adjoining edges with side flanges 3 which align with eachother. Each of the side flanges 3 on the coupling half l is providedwith an outwardly exposed shoulder t, while on the adjoining surface ofthe side flange 3 of the oppositely disposed coupling half 2 there isformed a registering and cooperating recess 5. Through the media of theshoulders 4 and recesses 5, the side anges 3, and accordingly thecoupling halves I and k2, are properly centered with respect to eachother.

In addition, the oppositely disposed side flanges 3 are bored as at 6 topermit the extension therethrough of bolts 'I which when provided withsuitable nuts 8 (Figure '7) function to hold the two coupling halves Iand 2 together.

The face of each of the side flanges 3 of the coupling half 2 isprovided with a nished surface Ill tapered in a transverse planeinwardly from the body portion of the coupling half 2 (as shown mostclearly in Figures l and 5), the purpose and function of which willappear more fully hereinafter.

Referring more particularly to Figures 3 through 5, the device of theinvention comprises a yoke I2 which provides a pair of opposed finishedsurfaces I3 and I4 which are adapted to cooperate with the nishedsurfaces I5 and I on the side flanges 3 of the split coupling halves Iand 2, respectively. As shown most clearly in Figure 6, the finishedsurface I3 of the yoke I2 and the cooperating finished surface I of theside flange 3 of the coupling half I are untapered, but the finishedsurface I4 of the yoke I2 and the cooperating finished surface I0 of theside flange 3 of the coupling half 2 are each provided with a definitetaper. The degree of taper of the cooperating finished surfaces I4 andI0 is the same and of such angularity that a self-locking relationshipis obtained when each of the yokes I2 is driven over an opposed pair ofside anges 3. I have found a taper of the order of one-quarter inch perfoot to be satisfactory in the case of -certain couplings of substantialsize, but this of course is dependent upon a number of factors, and assuch forms no part of the present invention.

After the two split coupling halves I yand 2 are assembled, the bolts 'Iare inserted in the bolt holes 6 and nuts 8 (Figure 7) employed inconjunction therewith to hold the tWo coupling halves togetherpreparatory to receiving the yokes I2. The yokes I2 are then placed overtheir respective opposed pairs of lugs 3 and driven onto the said lugsto secure a solid t.

Referring more particularly to Figures 4 yand 5, each of the yokes has apair of aligned and transversely extending slots 20 which provideclearance for the bolts 'I. These slots 20 in the yokes I2 also enablethe more ready loosening of the said yokes when it is desired to removethem as will -appear immediately hereinafter. Each of the lugs 3 isprovided with a transverse slot 2| which underlies the alignedtransverse slots 20 in the cooperating yoke I2; and the bottoms of thesaid slots 20 are tapered. Such construction and arrangement permits theintroduction of a drift pin (not shown) which may be driven in betweenthe yoke I2 and the slots 2I in the next adjacent pair of lugs 3.

The outer ends of each cooperating pair of lugs 3 is conjointlyrecessed, as shown at 23, to permit of the retention of the heads ofbolts 24, the Shanks of which extend outwardly from between the saidcooperating pair of lugs 3 and extend through and project fromregistering holes 26 in the -adjacent yoke I2. The outer ends of thebolts 24 receive nuts 25. This construction and arrangement provides asafety measure for the prevention of the working loose of the yokesduring operation.

In order that the coupling halves I and 2 may be easily handled they areprovided on their exteriors with lifting lugs 28, and correspondinglifting lugs 29 may be provided on the exteriors of the yokes I2.

As to the interior contour of the coupling box, it is entirely dependentupon the shape of the shaft on which it is to be used, and as the deviceof the present invention is not concerned with flexibility, at least oneend of the coupling should fit loosely on the said shaft.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in theart that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since variousmodifications may be made 4 without departing from the scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coupling for driving connections comprising a body portion made upof a pair of split coupling halves, each of said coupling halves havinga side flange projecting therefrom adjacent each adjoining edge in adirection normal to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, theflanges on one coupling half being adapted to align with the flanges onthe other coupling half, connecting means passing through each pair ofadjacent flanges to hold said coupling halves together, and a yokemember embracing each pair of adjacent flanges.

2. A coupling as defined in claim 1 which includes means for holdingsaid yokes against slidable movement.

3. A coupling for driving connections comprising a body portion made upof a pair of split coupling halves, each of said coupling halves havinga side flange projecting therefrom adjacent each adjoining edge in adirection normal to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, theflanges on one coupling half being adapted to align with the flanges onthe other coupling half, a slidable yoke member embracing each pair ofadjacent flanges, said yokes being slidable axially of said bodyportion, and means for holding said yokes against sliding movement.

4. A coupling as defined in claim 3 which lncludes connecting meanspassing through said aligned anges to hold said coupling halves t0-gether.

' 5. A coupling for driving connections comprising a body portion madeup of a pair of split coupling halves, each of said coupling halveshaving a side flange projecting therefrom adjacent each adjoining edgein a direction normal to the longitudinal axis of said body portion, theflanges 0n one coupling half being adapted to be aligned with theflanges on the other coupling half, the outer side of the flanges on atleast one of said coupling halves being tapered in a plane normal to thelongitudinal axis of said body portion inwardly from said body portion,a slidable yoke member embracing each pair of adjacent flanges, saidyokes being slidable axially of said body portion. the adjacent surfacesof said flanges and said yokes being correspondingly shaped to contacteach other to form a self-locking relationship, and means for holdingsaid yokes against sliding movement.

6. A coupling as defined in claim 5 which includes bolt means passingthrough said aligned flanges to hold said coupling halves together.

FREDRIC MEIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 212,547 Forbes Feb. 25, 1879292,095 Carlson Jan. 15, 1884 481,092 Barnaby Aug. 16, 1892 624,770Eibee May 9, 1899 2,326,941 Heitner Aug. 17, 1943 2,430,683 OMalley Nov.11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 235,052 Great Britain June11, 1925

